Her Wolf Mate

by Hannah Lin

  wrapped an arm around her middle. My suspicion had been

  right. Maddie still cared for her father on some level. How

  was I going to kill him when I knew my mate didn’t want me

  to?

  “Would it upset you if I killed him?” I asked.

  Maddie scoffed. “Of course! He’s my father.”

  “And he’s murdered hundreds, if not thousands. Your intel

  was the first we’d heard about the suicide bomber cell. We’d

  always assumed that Zov was funding different cells to carry

  out the attacks, but now that we know they’re the ones

  doing it, we can nip things in the bud.”

  Maddie nodded. “And you can do that without killing my

  father or my cousin. Taylor’s his second, you know.”

  “I know that, but we have to think things through,” I said,

  my voice gentle. I understood that this was an emotional

  situation and was glad that the ride back to the base was a

  long one.

  “Fine.” Maddie folded her arms. “Let’s think things

  through. If you kill my father and Taylor, then all you get is

  their deaths. You won’t get the information that can really

  help you dive into how they do what they do.”

  “I’m doing my best to get some of it, and I have a second

  dragon coming to help me soon. But here’s the thing,

  Maddie. Your father won’t give up that information.”

  Maddie threw her hands up in the air. “Then torture it out

  of him, or any of his men.”

  I shook my head. “How long do you think we could keep

  your father in custody? He’s a top-level Zovite soldier. Both

  Testea and Zov have spies and inside men in each other’s

  camps. He would escape in a matter of days.”

  “You could keep him at a maximum-security facility.

  Underground. Or on a hill. It doesn’t matter. You can do it if

  you want to.”

  I raised my hands in front of me in a placating gesture.

  “Alright. Let’s say that’s the plan. How will I get your father

  to Testea? From what I know, we’re heading to Earth tonight.

  There will be no Testeans to help me capture your father

  there, besides my second. Also, shifters live hidden on

  Earth. We can’t just send an army of dragons.”

  Maddie hung her head and sighed. She was quiet for a few

  minutes. I didn’t go to her this time or try to say anything

  comforting. Maddie had to come to terms with the situation

  at hand.

  The only way to stop the cell was to kill Carter. Yes,

  someone else could take his place, but it would be someone

  less experienced and more likely to make mistakes. Or so I

  hoped.

  “I know my father has done worse,” Maddie said, her

  voice small. “But the idea of watching him and Taylor die

  upsets me. I can’t deal with it.”

  I felt my throat burn. Maddie sounded dangerously close

  to weeping. I hated to see people cry, but with Maddie, I

  couldn’t bear it.

  “I wouldn’t make you watch them die, Maddie. I’m not a

  monster. You’d be far away and safe by then.”

  Maddie raised her watery eyes. “But I’d know exactly what

  was about to happen. And my mind would go wild imagining

  it. Please don’t do it, Kate.”

  I drew a sharp breath. And here it was. The moment I’d

  always dreaded. A person I cared about was asking me to do

  something against my orders.

  I had seen several teammates change once they found

  their mates and vowed never to do the same. So many

  soldiers went soft, refusing to take on certain missions, and

  as a result, experience earned by decades of hard work

  went down the drain.

  It was more than all that wasted talent that bothered me.

  Testea needed good people to stand and fight on the front

  lines and behind enemy lines. Every time someone went

  soft on a hard line, Zov gained an inch.

  “I have my orders,” I said, my voice flat. Earlier that day,

  I’d been so passionate and convicted about my mission.

  Now, it was painful for me to speak those words.

  “I know that, but I’m asking you to consider an

  alternative,” Maddie said, moving to sit beside me. She no

  doubt sensed the weakness in me, now that I’d found my

  mate.

  I laughed and shook my head.

  “What’s so funny?” Maddie asked.

  “Me. I always told myself I’d never turn into one of those

  people that would let their mate change them, and here you

  are doing just that.”

  “Maybe that change is for the better,” Maddie said,

  carefully.

  I sighed. “Who knows? Alright, you win this round. I’ll do

  my best to find an alternative.”

  Maddie leaned into me and placed a sloppy kiss against

  my cheek. I turned sharply instinctively and stared at her

  full lips. I drew a deep breath, then turned back to face

  forward. If I kissed Maddie, I’d never want to stop, and

  things on this mission would get even more complicated.

  “I guess you’re right about us needing to put a break on

  this mate thing,” I said.

  “Tell me about it.” Maddie got up and moved back to her

  seat opposite me. “I hope you didn’t say you’d try to find an

  alternative just to console me.”

  “No.” I raised my chin. “I’m a keeper of my word. I will try,

  but I’m telling you right now, the higher-ups won’t go for

  this.”

  “All I need is for you to try. For me. If things don’t work

  out, I’ll learn to deal with the outcome. I hope I don’t get too

  many nightmares. I am the one who set all these events into

  motion, after all.”

  I clenched my fists. I hadn’t even thought of that. Maddie

  felt guilty, and I knew too well how much that could eat a

  person up.

  An image of my best friend from the military academy

  lying on the battleground, staring up at me with unseeing

  eyes, flashed in my mind. I would not make Maddie go

  through even a minute of that.

  “I’ll do my best,” I promised.

  As soon as I got those words out, the van stopped. The

  sound of a gate opening sent adrenaline through my veins.

  Simon must have taken a shortcut.

  “Look,” I said. “You can’t tell anyone about me being your

  mate or a Testean dragon.”

  Maddie rolled her eyes. “I know that.”

  “You also have to treat me like any of the other guys

  here.” I winked. “I know how hard that one will be, so I’ll do

  my best to keep this gorgeous body out of your direct

  sight.”

  “Really? That’s the best you could do?”

  I sobered. “I know we just met, but I already care about

  you. Be safe. Do nothing to anger your father. I’ll do my best

  to get us both out of this.”

  “And my father in prison, not dead,” Maddie reminded me.

  “That too.”

  The van stopped, and Simon opened the back doors.

  Maddie moved out of the truck quicker than I’d seen her

  move and murmured the word, finally.

  My mouth fell open,
and Simon laughed. “Don’t worry. She

  doesn’t like any of us.”

  “And here I thought girls always stick together,” I said

  wryly.

  When I got out of the van, I saw a few of Carter’s men

  hanging outside the barracks, no doubt biding their time as

  they waited for the others to return with their couriers. I

  spotted a familiar head of black hair with gray streaks

  through it and cursed under my breath. The man in question

  turned around, and his silvery gray eyes slammed into mine

  for a second, before moving away.

  Kai. Testea had sent Kai as my second. The other dragon

  was talented, having moved up the ranks faster than

  anyone before him, but he was impulsive. I cursed once

  more.

  How the hell was I going to convince Kai to wait around

  while I searched for a way to keep my promise to Maddie?

  CHAPTER 4

  MADDIE

  The next morning, I lay on my back and stared at the

  ceiling. It was the only item of interest in the bare room I

  occupied. The flowery pattern painted onto it kept me busy

  as I counted off the number of flowers, doing my best to

  keep the worrying thoughts away.

  Yesterday, I'd met my mate. That was a beautiful moment,

  but the complications had quickly crept in. Kate was on

  strict orders to kill Taylor, my father, and the rest of his top

  men.

  I squeezed my eyes shut and placed a hand over my belly.

  My body fought me no matter how much I tried to convince

  myself that what Kate planned to do was justified. So did my

  heart.

  I understood that both my father and Taylor knew exactly

  what they were doing. They kidnapped, then killed

  innocents, setting off coups that snowballed into genocides.

  What they did was despicable. So, why couldn't I accept it,

  and make Kate's job easier?

  Poor Kate, I thought. All she wants to do is save thousands

  of lives, and here I am getting in her way.

  I sighed. There were no simple answers. One didn't turn

  on their blood like that. Besides, there were more humane

  ways to deal with criminals. If murder was the order of the

  day, then what made one person different from the other?

  How about motivation? my wolf asked.

  I know that, but there has to be another way.

  Just remember that this isn't just about you, my wolf

  warned.

  I felt my throat constrict. I was being selfish, but I'd had to

  be all my life. Without a mother or friends, I'd had to look

  out for myself. I sat up in bed and ran a hand down my face.

  “If Kate can't get a deal that spares my father’s life, then

  I'll tell her to do what she needs to. At least I'll know I tried.”

  A knock on the door made my heart jump in my throat.

  That could only be one person: Taylor. On the best of days, I

  hated spending time with him, but now, knowing that

  Taylor's death could happen in a matter of days or weeks, I

  wanted to see as little of him as possible.

  “Why aren't you answering?” Taylor asked, barging into

  the room, plopping down at the foot of the bed.

  “I wasn't ready for company,” I said, gesturing at my half-

  dressed state.

  Taylor waved a dismissive hand. “I saw you naked when

  we were kids. Nothing to write home about.”

  I pursed my lips and forced myself to take a deep breath

  before speaking. “What do you want?”

  Taylor arched an eyebrow, apparently surprised by my

  impatience. “Answers. Why did Uncle Carter bring you along

  with us?”

  “You're his Second. Why don't you ask him?”

  Taylor snorted. “Whatever this tough girl act is, it's not

  working for you. Now, tell me. Why is he bringing you with

  us?”

  I sat still and watched Taylor. My cousin's dark hair and

  eyes, combined with his sharp features, made him the

  spitting image of my father. I had inherited my mother’s

  looks, and now, apparently, philosophy. I thought, not for

  the first time, that it would have been better if someone had

  switched Taylor and I at birth.

  But then you wouldn't have me, my wolf reminded me.

  I smiled. That's true. I wouldn't want that.

  Taylor was a mage. Although his mother was a bear, his

  father's genes won out. Unfortunately, Kate and I could

  never have children, but it’d be great to raise some

  together.

  “Maddie,” Taylor said, snapping his fingers in my face. “I

  asked you a question.”

  I drew an expansive breath. The thought of a future with

  Kate gave me strength and courage I never knew I had.

  “We're not fifteen anymore,” I said. “You can't bully me. If

  you want to know why your precious uncle brought me

  along, you can ask him. Now get out.”

  Taylor hissed. “Bitch.”

  “Really? Is that the best you can come up with? Bitch?”

  Taylor rose and pointed a finger at me. “You're seriously

  fucked up; you know that? Something in you is broken. I feel

  sorry for you.”

  “Says the man who spends his days kidnapping innocents

  and leading them to their deaths.”

  “That's all for Zov!” Taylor's cheeks colored and his voice

  rose. “Why can't you see that and get in line? I told you

  what we did, hoping that you'd dump all the charity crap

  and join a genuine cause. Or at least, stop being such a

  burden to your father. Instead, you ran away like a little girl

  and threatened the security of the entire planet, while

  creating the biggest headache Uncle Carter has ever had to

  deal with.”

  I shook my head. “Wow. That's what it all comes down to,

  isn't it? Your father died before you got to know him, and

  you wish my father was yours. Why don't you try making it a

  little less obvious?”

  Taylor gasped and stared at me incredulously. He’d never

  heard me voice the truth so plainly or have complete

  disregard for his feelings. But I was done playing nice. Taylor

  wanting to run around and ruin lives was one thing, but his

  days of bullying me into doing whatever he wanted, which

  was whatever my father wanted, were over.

  “Did I just hit a nerve?” I asked.

  I regretted the words when I saw Taylor's eyes water. I'd

  taken it too far.

  I swallowed thickly and tried to force down my desire to

  smooth things over. I didn't do charity work with children

  because I had nothing better to do. I did it because I

  understood how hard it was to grow up in a home where you

  weren't wanted. Taylor’s mother and my father loved him.

  I’d assumed he had everything he ever wanted. It turned

  out that he felt the loss of his father far more keenly than I’d

  ever imagined.

  I’d hurt my cousin badly, and I needed to make up for it.

  Damn my good girl ways, I thought.

  “Look,” I started. “I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. I

  just—”

  Taylor raised a hand. “Save it. You know, I came in here

  hoping w
e’d have a decent conversation. But then you

  turned this into something completely different. Yes. I hold

  Uncle Carter in high respect, but that's only because I

  admire what he's doing to secure a future for all of us. If you

  weren't so fucking idyllic like your mother, you'd get that.

  She betrayed her planet and had to leave her family behind.

  It seems you can't help but follow in her footsteps, so let me

  say this now. When you mess up and get exiled or executed,

  know this: no one will miss you. No one cares about you

  enough to stand and cry over your grave.”

  Taylor fled from my room, slamming the door behind him.

  I was partially under my blanket, but a chill ran down my

  spine. He was right. I’d never gotten close to anyone. My

  father and I were opposites, and the same went for my

  cousin. My aunt lived on a different planet, and I’d never

  made close friends because of the stigma of what my

  mother did.

  I had to give it to Taylor. He knew how to strike where it

  hurt. Now I understood why he was my father's second. That

  ability to find the most profound fear and weakness in a

  person probably translated well into finding the best spot for

  planting a bomb.

  Drawing a shaky breath, I got out of bed and dressed.

  Sitting in a room by myself while my mind went to a dark

  place wasn't a good thing. It had been over a decade since I

  thought I might be better off dead, but now I knew that

  wasn't the case, and I had to fight to push those dark

  thoughts away.

  “Damn Taylor,” I mumbled. “He still knows how to get

  under my skin, and the worst part is that I still don't want to

  see him die.”

  I went down to the mess hall and grabbed a croissant and

  a banana from the spread before pouring myself a cup of

  coffee. While I hated the gray-colored walls of the barracks,

  the layout of the place served a useful purpose. I could pick

  a table far away from Taylor and sit by myself.

  After scoffing down my breakfast, I walked out of the hall,

  needing some fresh air. Sitting by myself that morning made

  me feel even lonelier than usual.

  Once I was a few feet away from the hall, I heard

  footsteps. I stopped and squeezed my eyes shut. Why did

  my father insist on me having a guard even while on Earth?

  It wasn't like I could go anywhere.

  “Are you okay?” Kate asked, moving to my side.

  I looked up at her and felt a calm settle over me. I